


ultimatum

by thir13enth



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-24 16:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15634359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thir13enth/pseuds/thir13enth
Summary: Three words before Shiro goes.





	ultimatum

**Author's Note:**

> one more before s7 destroys us all

He is the last person Shiro expects to see.

He can tell because the moment he calls his name, Shiro turns around like he’s heard a ghost. Stunned eyes and frozen lips, as if yearning and waiting for even the mere chance of this moment happening.

“Adam,” he says — behind him, the rocket ship he is about to launch off on.

Adam smiles. “Hey,” he replies.

Shiro blinks and looks to the ground, stepping forward cautiously. “What… what are you doing here?” he stumbles over the words.

“I wanted to see you,” Adam starts. And then softly, “I wanted to wish you good luck.”

A hard-to-describe smile breaks over Shiro’s mouth. “Thank you,” he replies. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s good to see you.”

A brief hot desert breeze picks up the unruly bangs over his forehead, lets the hair flutter over his face messily in a way that makes Adam suddenly miss combing his fingers through the thick strands. The memory of the last time he did this — an early morning after a late night in Shiro’s bed — stretches his lips into a wider smile, but then he sees the glaze over Shiro’s eyes and it reminds him of the last time he saw Shiro’s eyes like this.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro apologizes, a sharp break in his voice. “I’m sorry I chose to go on the mission. I—“

“No,” Adam interrupts. “ _I’m_ sorry. I never should have let you choose between me and your dreams. I know how important this is to you.”

“ _You’re_ important to me,” Shiro says, his hand instinctively coming up to reach for him. His hand hesitates at its rise, and he quickly tucks it back behind his waist.

“I know,” Adam replies, frowning. “And I knew that too. I still made you chose, and I made you responsible for this. I made you take on the weight for my own problems. _I_ was one that was afraid. _I_ was the one that was insecure. _I_ couldn’t reconcile that you needed to make time for your own life, for your own career, for your own dreams, and that I couldn’t have you all to myself. I made you take the blame. I made you take the pain of ending our relationship.” He shakes his head guiltily, stepping forward, but then he looks up to Shiro, checking if the closing distance between them is okay. “So _I’m_ sorry. That was wrong of me to do.”

Shiro presses his lips together. “It’s okay. I understand.” He breathes in and out deeply. “I know this was just as hard for you as it was for me.”

Adam swallows, stepping once more toward him. “I don’t want to break up with you,” he admits. “I want to stay with you. I want to see your dreams come true. I want you to see you at your best. I want to be there for you at your worst. I want to be there every step of the way. I want to be there with you. Forever.” He meets Shiro’s eyes, and then looks down for Shiro’s hands, holds them in both of his and raises them to his lips to press a soft kiss on them. “Do you forgive me?”

“Yes,” Shiro replies, almost breathlessly. He blinks a few times, before pulling one hand out of Adam’s clasp and wiping tears out of his eyes. He laughs soundlessly as he does this, pardoning his sudden emotions. “Sorry. _Yes. Of course_ I forgive you,” he repeats, his hand coming back to join their joined hands. “I _love_ you. I love you so much.”

But Adam already knows this. He sees that Shiro’s back is to the launchpad — and even mere seconds away from the official countdown, Shiro still faces _him_ , hanging onto the last few moments here, with _him_.

“I love you, too,” Adam replies back.

And he leans forward and presses a long kiss onto Shiro’s lips. Shiro drinks him in, breathes him in — with the hunger of the first night they were together, yet the linger of the last minute they would be together in a very long time.

When they part, Adam gives him a soft smile. “Just promise me one thing,” he says.

Shiro returns the smile, touching his forehead to his. His fingers weave tightly between his.

“Anything.”

“Come back to me,” Adam says. “Come _home_ to me.”

Shiro nods, blinking back tears. “Yes,” he promises. “I will.”

Adam feels a hard hot ball form in his throat. “I love you, Takashi,” he says again.

“I love you, too, Adam.”  

Adam hears the call for all mission astronauts over the speakers. Shiro hears it, too. He gives Adam a bittersweet smile. Adam gives him a tight hug.

As they part, he places his hand on Shiro’s shoulder, and then he tells him three last words:

“Go. Be great.”

**Author's Note:**

> you know where to find me:
> 
> tumblr @ahumanintraining  
> twitter @napsbeforesleep


End file.
